The Story that Started It All

lf you have ever attended The No More Orphans Experience, then you probably recall hearing our CEO, and Co-Founder, Jaime Kent tell his story which begins with the words… “It was costume day.” Jaime recounts the events of the evening he was removed from his home, with his brother and sister, after the abuse from his stepfather was uncovered. Though there are no pictures to accompany his retelling, you can envision the scenes playing through your head like a movie. The police lights through the window, “red light, blue light, red light, blue light.” As he describes the sounds he heard, “thud, thud, thud…” you visualize the police officers, in full uniform, coming down the stairs of the split-level home. You see Jaime peek through the railing as he’s being escorted out of his home; a plastic trash bag filled with his belongings gripped tightly in his hands. As he recounts witnessing his stepdad in handcuffs and his mom sobbing on the floor, your heart aches and perhaps a tear wells up in the corner of your eye for the ten year old boy whose life changed in an instant. 

But the story doesn’t end there. We hear of the generosity of Bob and Judy, a couple Jaime had never met before, who opened their home to welcome the kids until their Mom could get back on her feet. We follow his journey as he relocates to Georgia, to live permanently with his biological father. We watch the impact, as the moments of his life prepare him for an invitation to church with a friend, where he meets Jesus and again his eternity is changed in an instant. 

Yet, the story still isn’t over. A few years later, Jaime meets his wife, they fall in love and, as their stories converge, God begins to write a story that Jaime and Tami never expected. A story where God takes all of the tragedy and turns it into triumph; not just for them but for thousands upon thousands of others. 

Their first-hand experience serving the hungry, the hurting, the orphaned, the enslaved in third world countries and inner city streets would ignite a fire in their hearts to see the people of God rise up to be the hope of the world. With a battle cry on their lips and a passion that could not be contained, in 2011, The No More Foundation (NM) was launched. The mission to connect people to care for the least of these, as if they were Jesus himself, hasn’t wavered. For the last twelve years, Jaime’s story, as well as the stories of countless others, have been shared in Greater Tampa Bay, throughout the state of Florida and across the United States, helping to move Christians to action. 

Through The No More Orphans Experience alone, tens of thousands have been invited into the story God is writing in the lives of children and families across the U.S. With a clear call to action to foster, adopt, advocate and serve, thousands of children, just like Jaime, have found safe and loving homes. Many of their parents and guardians have found support to take steps forward toward reunification and healing. 

Stories are powerful and transformative tools that connect, inspire and move us all. With a God sized goal to move one million Christians to action, NM is expanding our efforts to help everyday people find their part in the extraordinary work God is doing here on the earth. We may not all be called to do the same thing, but we are ALL called to care – and so, every week we will be sharing STORIES here related to foster care and adoption advocacy, anti-human trafficking efforts, fighting poverty and more. 

Our hope is that you would connect personally with these stories, share them with others in your sphere of influence and be inspired to do something that will make a difference in the lives of others. For we, as Christians, are all a part of a much greater story that has been unfolding since, “In the beginning” and ends with “Amen.”